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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet- 1.

I. A. GANFIELD. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMPIT DRESS SHIELDS.

No. 317,624. Patented May 12, 1885.

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APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMPIT DRESS SHIELDS. No; 317,624.Patented May 12, 1885.

11 6. SMDM,

N. PETERS. Phclo-Liflwgnhher. Wilhing om 0.1;

, UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC A. CANFIELD, OF MI DDLETOVVN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THECANFIELD RUBBER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

OF ARM PIT DRESS-SHIELDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,624, dated May 12,1885.

Application filed July 18, 18851. (No model.) Patented in England May26, 1831, No. 1,307.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ISAAC A. CANFIELD, of Middletown, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in the Manufacture of Armpit Dress-Shields, of whichthe following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, where Figure 1 is a view of my improved dressshield, theproduct of my apparatus and process. Fig. 2 is an elevation of myimproved dies and heater-box made use of and of the mechanism foroperating the same. The heatguard box is not shown in this figure. Fig.3 is a view of the dies, the heater-box, and the heat-guard box invertical transverse section. Fig. 4 is a view of the former made use of.Fig. 5 is a view of a piece of material used to form the shields for thepurpose of showing the relative position of the component layers. Fig. 6is a view of the heatguard box inclosing the heater.

This invention is an improvement in the manufacture of class of devicesknown as dress shields, and intended to be worn under the arm by bothmen and women, to serve the double purpose of protecting the clothingfrom perspiration and protecting the person from irritation.

The process: The stock for making these dress-shields consists of acentral layer of thin rubber containing enough sulphur and lead topermit subsequent vulcanization, faced upon both sides with a textileorother suitable fabric. For these outside layers the article known tothe trade as stockinet is preferably used; but it is obvious that aknitted "fabric, a felted fabric, or possibly a paper fabric wouldanswer, and there may be other fabrics suited to the purpose. The outerlayers of cloth or the like are caused to adhere to the central layer ofrubber by heat and pressure. The stock, when the component layers arethus arranged, consists of a waterproof material suitably faced uponboth sides with a textile or other fabric. Such facings act as anabsorbent of the perspiration instead of shedding it. The stock thusconstituted is cut by hand or otherwise, preferably by a suitable press,into pieces of a size suitable to j by a rod,

the production of these dress-shields. These pieces are then laid uponand across the top of the female die, and the male die, worked by anysuitable power and apparatus, moves downward into the female die,doubling the stock before it, and finally forming it between the concaveand convex spaces of the dies. \Vhen the male die reaches the lowerlimit of this play, it is allowed to remain there two or three minutesin order to give set to the stock; then the male die moves up and. outof the female die, and the operator removes the stock, now doubled uponitself and curved at the doubling-point. These pieces are then taken andplaced in the formers, and are then laid in an oven and subjected to adry vulcanization,(heat 260,) which gives the curve of the blank apermanent set. The blank is then taken from this former and placed uponanother former, and is then cut and trimmed to the required shape, afterwhich the edge may be bound or scalloped. The shields are without a seamat the apex when bent to the proper shape for use. After being stampedwith proper numbers or letters to indicate their size, the goods arethen ready for use.

The machine: The letter a denotes a male die having a concave face, a,and the letter 7) denotes the corresponding female die as a whole havinga narrow and deep matrix or mortise, b, at the bottom of which is theconvex working-face 1), corresponding to the concavity of theworking-face of the male die. The female die is set or fastened into themortise made in the heater-box 0, which isintended to contain steam, hotwater, or any other suitable heating medium, thereby giving heat to thedies, which it is possible to use cold, but

which work better when suitably heated. The

male die is hung to the barf, which has vertical reciprocation by meansof the arm h, pivoted at the far end and connected to the treadle Bothdies are usually made of steel. Steam enters the heater-box throughpreferablyof asbestus, and it may or may not inclose the whole of theheater. Its purpose is to prevent radiation of heat from the heater, andto form a rest for the operators hands in submitting stock to the actionof the dies. This guard-box, while it prevents the workman from burninghis hands, is particularly useful in retaining the heat in and aroundthe heater-box c and the female die located on the heater-box. In a shopwhere a number of these machines are in operation, if the heater-boxesare left uncovered or unprotected, the escap ing heat soon renders thetemperature of the room unbearable. By employing the guardboxes the heatis retained around the dies, and consequently the time required to givethe proper set to the article is considerably lessened.

The letters at m denote checks rising from theheater-box, which dispensewith the neces sity of having the male die descend into the heater-boxto the distance liable to cause the stock to unduly stretch. Thesecheeks extend up a considerable distance along the sides of the male diewhen the latter is forced into the guard-box, and consequently the wholeshield is heated and partly vulcanized.

The letter Z denotes a former used in con nection with these dies. It ismade of vulcanized iron plate or the like, simi'larin shape to the maledie, and has a suitable number of pins on periphery, upon which thestock is impaled before it is submit-ted to the process ofvulcanization.

I make no claim in this application to the process and article hereindescribed, as they form the subject-matter of separate applications,numbered, respectively, 155,202 and 155,206.

I claim as new- 1. In a machine for manufacturing armpit dressshields,the combination, with a guardbox having anopening in its upper face andaheater-box located within said guard-box, of a female die located withinthe guard-box and on the heater-box, and a vertically-n1ovable die,substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for manufacturing armpit dressshields, the combination,with a guardbox and a heater-box, of a female die located within theguard-box, (and provided with upwardly-projecting side cheeks,) and amovable die, substantially as set forth.

ISAAC A. OANFIELD.

XV i tnesses:

FREDERICK SMITH, RATCLIFFE HICKS.

